9. Change your work environment from time to time, we all need need scenery — go to a completely different part of town, or outside.

10. Spend several time blocks during your day with your phone off and unavailable. You’ll start to cultivate a rare and powerful focus.

Focus, focus, focus. There is no shortage of dreamers out there, but in a world of endless noise —focus becomes your competitive advantage.

11. There’s some stuff in your business or life you simply hate doing. Delegate cleaning your place, scheduling appointments or anything that crushes your energy.

Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should. Delegate the non-essential, and protect your most valuable resource liike your life depends on it.

Because it does.

12. Affirmations are largely ineffective — if you want to believe something, write it down 500 times.

I do this exercise at least once a week. If you follow me on social media, there is no doubt you have seen this.

13. Be honest with yourself — and don’t believe your excuses. Give yourself permission to tell yourself what you really want out of this life.

Do you buy your own bullshit? I don’t, and it’s why I not only surround myself with real friends (not enablers) but practice radical honesty with myself.

I encourage you to do the same.

14. Don’t buy anyone’s version of success — or else you’ll chase something that you never wanted, which is a sinking feeling.

Spend time defining and re-fining your definition of success —and ensure it’s based on what you really want.

For example, cars do absolutely nothing for me. I will never own a fleet of sports cars, because they don’t move the needle for me.

15. Add playing your favorite song to your morning routine. Rock out for a moment, and bonus points for air guitar.

Have more fun —be willing to look dumb, and feel alive while doing so.

16. Read ten pages every single morning. If you don’t touch a book the rest of the day, you’ve got 18 books read for the year and are in the 2%.

Ten pages. You have the time, and you know it.

This simple trick can lead you to read 15-20 books a year —enough to start to become an expert and thought leader in your field, or on your path to personal mastery.

17. Question everything and allow space for a new perspective, but don’t be a cynic. Cynics don’t allow space, they’ve already decided to see the worst…don’t be this person.

There’s a razor’s edge between these two —but you can feel a cynics energy from a mile away.

Be willing to question everything, but for the right reasons.

18. Listen to the hits of wisdom you get every single day — the trip, the business idea, the book…and execute like your hair’s on fire or else you’ll forget.

Your intuition is one of the most powerful sources of wisdom you’ll ever find. Learn to trust it, honor it and listen to it —even if it doesn’t make sense.

Especially if it doesn’t make sense.

19. Spend time learning something you’re terrible at every week. Guitar, salsa dancing, boxing, sharing a message on video…embrace being a beginner.

I love this one. I love being new. Why? Because it’s fun, and teaches you and I countless lessons.

20. Find creative ways to tell the person you love how much you appreciate them. A little effort, goes a long way.

Post it notes, flowers, random gifts —these go a long way to creating a lifetime of connection.

21. You already know the answer. Stop searching for the answer in other people’s content…create 80% of the time, and consume 20% of the time.

I get it —you’re consuming my content. But the truth is, I’m here to help you share the wisdom you have, too.

22. It’s never the right time to hire a coach to help unleash the most powerful version of who you are and set you on a powerful track. Instead of the vacation, invest in making your real life so awesome, it feels like one.

I believe there is no faster, more efficient and powerful way to transform our lives than to hire a coach.

17 Reasons Why You’re Afraid To Invest In Yourself

I still remember the moment. I’d gone on an intensive training on a whim, and my world had been ripped open.

And then they offered me the yearlong program —I was all in.

Except for one problem: the ticket price was $20,000.

Shit.

I had no frame of reference for this, and I had $757 in my checking account —and still hadn’t paid rent.

And yet, I was being called to do it.

The decision didn’t make any sense, I committed and doubled down.

It was one of the most powerful moments of my life and it had very little to do with the program.

(Although that was awesome, too.)

It had to do with the fact that I was telling myself I was worth that kind of cash.

Since then, I’ve invested over $200,000 in programs, coaches, seminars, live events and more.

The truth is simple: I would not be who I am today without investing in myself.

Here are 17 reasons you’re afraid to invest in yourself, and why it’s keeping you stuck.

1. You don’t believe you’re worth it.

Plain and simple: before that moment, I didn’t believe I was worth it. Putting that amount of money down was liberating: I chose myself, and I backed up my belief with cash.

There is no better way to declare you’re worth it.

2. You don’t trust yourself.

Often, once we trust someone else to assist us in our goals —we must be able to trust ourselves. Trust ourselves to follow through, get uncomfortable and grow.

3. You’re not truly ready.

Until you invest in yourself, you’re not truly ready. I’m not saying it has to be $20K, but if you aren’t willing to invest…

It’s simply not important enough for you.

4. You’re waiting to “have the money.”

This is the most common excuse I hear, and I’ve used it too. And yet: not having the money is exactly why you should invest in yourself.

What you’ve been doing is clearly not working. I recognized this, and knew I had to write a new financial story.

PRO TIP: Making the same decisions will lead to the same results.

5. You love dreaming, but not doing.

In a hyped up, motivational YouTube world —information is cheap.

And it’s free.

People love consuming free information and dreaming about their business, but they don’t love what comes after: the hard work.

6. You don’t want to be on the hook.

Once you invest in yourself, your dreams are on the line. You’re on the hook. There is nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide, and your excuses are no longer valid.

For many, this can be daunting.

7. You’re not willing to be resourceful.

If it’s important enough, we can all find the money. We can make it work somehow, someway.

But most people would rather spend the money on a leather jacket or Cancun vacation.

As awesome as those are, they won’t transform your life.

8. You want to stay the same.

Sounds crazy, right? Wrong. Most people want to stay the same. They fear stepping into their power.

Marianne Williamson said it best:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us.”

9. Your dreams haven’t become non-negotiable.

I was talking to JJ Virgin the other day, and she told me about the time she invested in a $100,000 mastermind.

She didn’t even know what it was, and had no means to do it: and yet, she ran to the back of the room, signed up and it changed her life forever.

Why? Her dreams were non-negotiable. They were binary. There was no chance they wouldn’t happen.

PRO TIP: Take yourself five years down the line. What is the cost of staying the same?

10. You’re letting fear win.

You’re afraid of putting money down and not taking action.
You’re afraid of declaring your dreams to someone else.
You’re afraid of being held accountable to your vision.
You’re afraid of achieving success and changing your life.

These fears are always out there.

11. You’re waiting for the “right” time.

So often, I’ll have discussions with people out one of my programs, and they’ll say the timing isn’t right.

Here’s the deal: the timing will never be right, you make it right.

Life won’t get less busy, the kids won’t be less intense, your bills aren’t going to disappear.

12. You’re not ready to be challenged.

The best coaching is a heavy mix of support and challenge. I push my clients and I tell them the truth: I point out where they’re playing small and listening to the bullshit voices in their head.

And I expect the same when I invest in myself. We all have blind spots, and I want people to show me mine.

13. You want to roll solo.

Good luck with this one. Can you do it? Maybe. But it may take 8 years, instead of 2.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to pay the heavy burden of opportunity cost.

14. You’re not being honest with yourself.

We’re masters at not looking in the mirror. Often, I’ll speak to potential clients and they’ll sugarcoat their problems.

This lack of honesty serves a purpose: it makes them avoid making powerful decisions to transform.

Without getting radically honest, you won’t feel compelled to change and will continue to slide into mediocrity.

PRO TIP: Take honest inventory of how your circumstances are impacting every part of your life.

15. You’re entitled and want it free.

This is a charged word, but it’s true: people feel they deserve free coaching, mentoring and time from others.

A few months back, I received a message from someone who wanted two hours of my time.

I quoted them $750, and they came back with a rude message —because they “knew” me, they wanted it free (or discounted.)

What they fail to recognize is they wouldn’t do anything with free advice.

16. You want to keep playing small.

Investing in yourself is a bold declaration of trust, faith and belief in who you are and what you’re creating.

But it’s also a shift from playing small to playing much bigger —and not everyone is ready to play big.

17. You have a bad relationship with money.

We all have stories and beliefs around money —but people who avoid investing in themselves have a scarcity mindset.

They don’t understand money is energy, and energy is what makes this planet go round.

They don’t get that the same energy they invested is the energy that will come back to them 5 times over.

One Can and Will Change You

When I came home from the seminar, I was a changed person.

But I was also scared and nervous.

Six weeks after investing the $20,000 I didn’t have —we launched a new program in my fitness business.

We made $50,000 in one day.

If you had told me this would happen before, I’d call you insane, crazy and delusional.

And there is the beautiful lesson: investing in yourself is the fastest path to transformation and creating a radically different life.

8. Identify your daily big rock. I use this in my programs, where we identify the ONE THING that is not urgent, yet crucial to moving the needle forward. Do this before anything else.

What is your one thing? This book by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan changed the game for me and countless people.

This is not email, it’s not social media, or customer service.

It’s the one thing that creates a domino effect with everything else you do.

9. Plan your week, every week. Sit down on a Sunday, put pen to paper — and craft your week with clarity.

The amateur skips this, and wakes up Monday with no plan, no priorities and simply “winging it.”

(I’ve tried that, trust me.)

Instead, spend 25-40 minutes planning your week and you’ll never be the same.

10. Take inventory. Most won’t do this because they’ll realize they’re spending 75 minutes a day scrolling IG, another 90 minutes listening to sports gossip and then watching a TV show.

Why do massive brands close shop for a day and take inventory? Because knowing where you are matters. This is the same for our lives: take inventory of every area of your life and split it up into two buckets:

What’s serving you and what’s not serving you.

11. Create a new story. “I don’t have enough time” is scarcity driven. For example: I create time for the priorities in my life that are connected with my vision.

Examine your language with time, we all do this. Often, I feel overwhelmed with communication from texts and emails.

I always make sure to shift my language from being a victim of time to being a master of time and in control.

12. Track your usage. Moment for your iPhone will scare the shit out of you, and RescueTime will track your internet behaviors. If you don’t track, you can’t improve.

Track, track, track. I’ve sent RescueTime to hundreds of entrepreneurs.

Few use it, because they’re now on the hook and can see how much time they’re wasting on social media.

(It’s not pretty.)

13. Fill your day with high priority, intentional items. You won’t have any space left for the time vampires.

Show me a blank calendar, and I’ll show you a lot of wasted time and energy. When you fill your day with what truly matters, the non-essential fades away.

14. Delegate, automate, streamline and delete. Every single week, find stuff to release off your plate.

“But I don’t have a team, Tommy.” Cool story. There has never been access to cheap labor online who can do the stuff you don’t like doing for $10-$20 an hour.

PRO TIP: If you value your time, then you become a master at delegation.

15. Read Seneca, On The Shortness Of Life. This will wake you up to live with deeper urgency and purpose.

This text will change your life, if you let it. I read it once per quarter and it becomes required reading if you want to work with me.

16. Release the pressure of communication. You don’t have to respond to every single email within the hour…let go.

This is getting out of hand. There’s an unwritten rule that if we don’t respond to someone within a couple days, that something is wrong.

Let go of this pressure. I’ve recently added an autoresponder that tells people when they’re going to hear from me (if at all.)

Often, I find myself in conversations with people who want to launch a platform, and yet aren’t doing anything. Or, they start and get excited —only for everything to fade after a few weeks.

(I call this the rollercoaster syndrome, where nothing lasts and you wind up with a bag over your head.)

Here’s what I know to be true:

If you’re reading this, you have a message. And in 2018, if you have a message, you must launch your platform.

Every minute you put it off, is a minute someone out there misses out on your magic.

The intention of this post is to give you the much needed motivation and inspiration to start, and also to get rid of all your excuses.

(I’ve been there, and mine sound great on paper. But paper doesn’t do anything.)

Here are 24 reasons why you haven’t launched your platform, and how to use them as leverage to launch now:

1. Waiting for the “right time” to start. Every day you wait is a selfish decision —because people are waiting.

Next month. Next season. Next year.

Notice a common theme here?

Here’s the truth: your life (likely) won’t get less busy, the kids won’t get easier and a bundle of cash won’t fall from the heavens.

The best time to start was yesterday. And the second best time? Right here, right now.

2. You believe clarity is a destination —instead of an evolution and daily process.

Clarity is overrated. There, I said it (life coaches are going to start coming after me in 3.7 seconds.)

While clarity can be important, too often people wait to take action under the guise of clarity.

Want to create clarity?

Ship 100 episodes, posts or pieces of content with your platform.

3. You’re doing it for the wrong reasons and haven’t developed an unshakeable why.

Oddly enough, if you start your platform with only the intention (and pressure) to monetize, you’re likely to give up long before the results pour in.

What is your why? At the Academy, we believe one message, on one day, can change one life.

4. You only create when “you feel like it” and wait for motivation to strike.

The amateur sits around waiting for a bolt of inspirational lightning to fall from the heavens, and then they start. The professional understands emotional states are fleeting: like the tides, they come and go.

Instead, learn to slice through this by taking consistent action in the face of doubt, and insecurities. This will build an unshakable level of confidence few have.

PRO TIP: Learn to love leaning in when you don’t feel like it.

5. You believe the market is saturated and everything has been said way too many times.

“Tommy, the market seems to be so saturated, and it’s too late.”

Here’s the truth: unless you’re building rocket ships to Mars, almost any market will be saturated. There’s nearly 5 billion people connected online —deal with it.

However, if you take the mindset of mastering your craft and playing the long game —you’ll notice the market isn’t saturated.

6. You aren’t willing to invest and bet on yourself over and over again.

Launching your platform and building your dream business is not about taking one leap.

It’s about having the courage and audacity to make bold decisions over and over in the face of fear, and executing anyway.

7. You’re making it about you instead of living in the hearts and minds of the people you’re looking to serve.

Your platform isn’t about you.

It’s about people out .there who are waiting to hear your message and be impacted through your craft.

Everytime you feel resistance, think about those who are struggling and could use a moment of clarity from your brand, product, service or content.

PRO TIP: Dig deep into the hearts and minds of your core audience when you’re stuck.

10. You haven’t become your number one raving fan —so how could you expect others to?

Often, I have my clients read their work and re-watch their videos or podcasts.

And it’s painful, but I have them do this because if they’re not their own number one fan, it’s impossible to expect others to be.

11. You’re trying too hard to be like someone else. The reason your message is unique is because it’s you.

Don’t be intense because Gary Vaynerchuk is.

Don’t be energetic because Tony Robbins is.

Don’t be a total nerd because Tim Ferris is.

While modeling others has value, you can often create a persona that isn’t truly who you are.

Instead, find what makes you, you…this is why people will connect with you.

12. You haven’t identified a “must have” skill — and there’s no proof you’re working on it daily.

In a world telling us to bet on our passion, skill acquisition can be forgotten. And yet, what really makes you and I valuable in the marketplace is the acquisition of skills.

What’s yours? For me, I have an umbrella of communication which is broken down into: writing, copywriting and video/speaking.

I work on these daily, and this is what separates you and I in a crowded marketplace.

13. You haven’t picked ONE place where people can find you — the pillar of your content.

I was coaching a new client who was ready to explode online, and they told me they’d set up 7 accounts.

I told them to delete six of them, and be ruthless about their focus on it.

Why?

Because there’s value in picking one platform to build your base around. For me, it was the podcast: I’m a deep, intense person and I know if someone listens to a few episodes and sticks with me —they’re my people.

PRO TIP: Your pillar platform is the one you love the most and where your audience is.

14. You’re trying to everywhere at once way too early —and then wondering why there’s no traction.

This is related to the prior one, but let’s face it: we all have limited bandwidth every day. People will see Gary Vee, or Lewis Howes and take on the pressure of being everywhere at once.

But if you’re everywhere too early, you’re nowhere.

15. You’re not taking at least three hours a week to take inventory of your business and course correct.

Hustle, grind, hustle grind.

What’s missing from this equation? Reflection, slowing down and creating space to think about problems and find creative solutions.

White space is your friend. Sometimes, too much action without purpose will leave you and I burning out and ready to quit.

16. You’re not obsessed. Interested won’t get you there —and you’ll fold quickly.

Obsessed. This is what it takes. Most people are interested, and when you’re interested —you fold when adversity strikes.

17. You have no systems, structure, processes around anything…”winging it” only lasts so long.

Winging it. This is where most entrepreneurs or solopreneurs earning less than $200K a year operate at. They usually do it all, and even bringing up the words systems and processes leaves them flustered.

In your business, find ways to automate, delegate and systemize the things you find yourself doing over and over.

There’s amazing software, freelancers, virtual assistants and much more help available to help you clear things off your plate.

18. You’re trying too hard to be someone else. There are 7 billion, unique people here. They want to hear from you — be yourself.

Passion is cheap, and can be found everywhere. Trust me, I love passion and pour myself a double every morning, but the mistake of thinking it’s enough leaves people stuck.

Instead, be ruthless with skill acquisition —this is what makes you valuable in the marketplace.

9. You have to be on every platform: blog, podcast, social media, email, etc. Not true, pick one pillar platform and dedicate yourself to it for 18 months.

Stop trying to be omnipresent early on. Instead, pick the platform that lights you up and where you can find the people you want to serve.

For me, that was the Academy podcast —because I know if someone listens to an episode and stays with us, they’re my people.

10. There’s a right time to hire someone. There isn’t, and most people won’t not because of the money, but because now they’re only left to do the essential (and that’s scary.)

One of the most difficult decisions for entrepreneurs who start to grow is their first hire. They’ll do anything and anything to avoid it.

The essential, however —are those 2-3 things you do better than anyone else and provide the most value to the marketplace.

11. Managing your emotions is a crucial skill in business, particularly as an entrepreneur.

Without a doubt, the number one skill any entrepreneur must become proficient with is the ability to manage his or her’s emotional state.

Otherwise, life and business will seem like an endless rollercoaster you can’t wait to get off.

12. Focused time to do the non-urgent, yet vitally important work is non-negotiable.

We’ve all had those days where we’re consumed with busywork, and doing a lot. Yet, we get to the end of the day and feel empty and unfulfilled.

Why? Because deep down, we know we didn’t move our lives and businesses forward in a meaningful way. This was a key topic and chapter in The 1% Rule.

13. “Grabbing coffee” usually goes nowhere and leads to someone trying to get something from you or a colossal waste of time.

Every week, I get tasked for coffee or to connect. I used to say yes, until I realized it often led to nothing of value on either side —and if I respect you enough to agree to this, I respect your time too.

(PRO TIP: Ask anyone who requests this what the objective is, and keep it to 25 minutes.)

14. With whatever you’re selling, you’re the first one one the hook. If you don’t see, and own your value…no one else will.

It starts with you. If you can’t rise above the self criticism and see the value of your work, do you think others will?

15. Early on, you’re going to have to be willing to work with people who are not even close to your target demographic. It’s okay, serve them powerfully and put in the reps.

During my entrepreneurial career, I’ve served people from all walks of life —and taken on clients I would have never worked with today.

That’s fine, and will happen. The question is: are you willing to drop the ego and serve them powerfully?

16. You’re going to need an outlet to connect with people on the same path —specifically, to share challenges, vent and come up with solutions.

Even if all you had was a weekly meeting with 3-4 peers in your industry to discuss challenges, it would be a massive benefit to your sanity.

(PRO TIP: Your intimate relationship is NOT the place for this.)

17. This game is a (minimum) ten year commitment. If you don’t have ten years, don’t play.

The person who plays the short game is always looking for the next best thing. Why? Focus across a long period of time isn’t sexy.

18. The way you communicate your brand, product or service is as important (or sometimes more) important than the actual thing.

Seth Godin has taught me a lot of lessons, but this one really hits me. You must become obsessed .with being the best at what you do. But that’s only half of the game, you must also become obsessed how to get what you do in people’s hands.

19. You’re going to feel alone, a lot. Even in crowded rooms. Deal with it.